KEY HISTORICAL MOMENTS - GETTING INTO THE WIFU: 1951 TO 1954 1951 - cloudfront.net

K EY HI STORI CAL M OM EN TS
GETTI NG I NTO THE W I FU: 1951 TO 1954
1951   A group led by Ken Stauffer and Tiny Radar, inspired by columnist Andy Lytle, sends representatives to the
       off-season Western Interprovincial Football Union meetings to initiate Vancouver’s bid for a team.
1952   WIFU rejects Vancouver’s application when Winnipeg and Regina vote against the idea of a fifth team.
1953   The first annual meeting of the club, held on January 22, 1953 saw Arthur E. Mercer named as the first
       President. With the help of future Hall of Fame builder Vic Spencer, Vancouver was granted a conditional
       franchise on the requirements of a 15,000 seat stadium, selling 6,500 season tickets and providing
       guaranteed travel expenses of the visiting teams. The Lions hire their first head coach Annis Stukus who
       begins to scout for players without the aid of an expansion draft.
1953   Water boy and future club GM, President and Hall of Famer Bob Ackles is hired.
1954   Empire Stadium opens in time for the 1954 British Empire Games and the Lions’ inaugural season in the
       WIFU. The Lions first-ever game is a 22-0 pre-season loss to Montreal before 19,371 spectators.
1954   The Lions open at home on August 28, 1954 against Winnipeg and their first ever TD comes a minute before
       half-time as By Bailey crashes over from a yard out to give BC a 5-1 lead. The Bombers fought back however
       with a TD to level the score. Two 4th quarter singles eventually gave Winnipeg the victory by an 8-6 count.
       It would not be until the seventh game that the Lions would post their only victory of 1954. BC upset Calgary
       9-4 at home on September 18th as By Bailey scored the only TD of the game on the soggy field of Empire
       Stadium. The Lions draw 135,983 fans to the first season’s eight home games.

EARLY CHALLENGES: 1955 TO 1959
1955   BC start off 3-2 but win just 5 games under Coach Stukus replacing him with Clem Crowe after the season.
1956   Paul Cameron of UCLA is signed and is named to the west all-star team but BC finishes fourth at 6-10.
1957   Herb Capozzi is hired as the club’s GM (1957-66) later producing the first Grey Cup winning team.
1958   A 10-game losing streak sees Clem Crowe replaced by Dan Edwards and a 3-13 record.
1959   Wayne Robinson of Winnipeg is hired as new head coach and the great Willie Fleming is signed from Iowa
       University. The first real Lions’ success is capped on October 24th in front of 31,594 fans at Empire Stadium
       as Bill Jessup catches a TD pass from Randy Duncan to secure the first Lions playoff spot.
1959   October 31st: BC’s first-ever playoff game is a 20-8 loss to Edmonton at Empire Stadium.

THE 60’S:
1960   Neal Beaumont captures the club’s first ever Western Award as he is named Rookie-of-the-Year. All-time club
       greats Norm Fieldgate and Willie Fleming are named to the all-star team.
1961   August 24th: BC obtains QB Joe Kapp in a 5-player trade with Calgary and hire Dave Skrien as head coach.
1962   LB Tom Brown is named the West’s Top Lineman and FB Nub Beamer leads the West in rushing.
1963   The Lions set a then club record with 12 wins finishing first to capture their initial Western title by beating
       Saskatchewan in a best-of-three series. Joe Kapp is named the West’s Most Outstanding Player while Willie
       Fleming sets a CFL record averaging 9.7 yards per carry and piling up a then club record 1,234 yards.
1963   November 30th: The first Grey Cup in club history is a disappointing 21-10 loss at Empire Stadium in front of
       36,545 fans. Mack Burton scores the first BC Grey Cup TD on a 5-yard pass from Joe Kapp.
1964   October 17th: Willie Fleming sets an unbreakable club and CFL record with a 109-yard touchdown run and is
       later named among 10 BC Lions on the West All-Star Team.
1964   The Lions repeat the success of 1963 with an 11-2-3 mark including an unbeaten 6-0-2 home record. BC
       wins their second straight Western title by beating Calgary in the best-of-three final series.
1964   November 28th: BC wins their first Grey Cup beating Hamilton 34-24. Bill Munsey leads the way with 2 TDs
       including a 71-yard fumble return. All-time great By Bailey retires after 11 seasons with the club, Tom Brown
       wins his third Top Lineman Award and Peter Kempf of UBC is named Rookie-of-the-Year.
1965   October 27th: The Lions set a CFL record with an attendance of 36,704 at Empire Stadium.
1966   Willie Fleming retires as the Lions all-time leading yards producer with 12,465 yards in 124 games.
1967   Denny Veitch is hired as the club’s fourth General Manager (1967-70) and head coach Dave Skrien is replaced
       by assistant Jim Champion.
1967   BC obtains the rights to WR Jim Young in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL. All-time great and
       Hall of Famer Norm Fieldgate retires after 14 seasons and 223 games for the club.
1968   BC Wall of Famer Jim Evenson joins the club while Ted Gerela leads the West in scoring with 115 points.
       Jackie Parker plays his only season in a BC uniform and is named head coach the following season.

K EY HI STORI CAL M OM EN TS
THE 70’S:
1970   Hall of Famer Jim Young receives the first of his two CFL Top Canadian Player Awards.
1971   Jackie Parker is elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame and assumes the role of General Manager.
1972   Al Wilson joins the Lions playing 233 games in 15 seasons with 7 all-star selections and a place in the
       Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
1973   Greg Findlay retires after 12 seasons and 178 games for BC.
1975   Bob Ackles (1975-1986) is hired as the Lions’ General Manager.
1975   By Bailey becomes the first original BC Lions player to be elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
1976   August 5th: Early club director Harry C. Spring is elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. The Lions
       draft K Lui Passaglia and LB Glen Jackson from SFU.
1977   The Lions hire Vic Rapp as Head Coach and go above .500 for the first time in 12 years and initiate a run of
       12 seasons at .500 or better.
1979   Jim Young retires after 13 seasons as the Lions all-time leading receiver with 9,248 yards and 65 TDs.
1979   Norm Fieldgate is elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.

THE 80’S
1981   BC starts the season 5-0 but eventually loses the Western Final to Edmonton.
1982   Willie Fleming is elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame while future great and Rookie-of-the-Year
       Mervyn Fernandez is signed from San Jose State. The Lions draw 15,071 fans to the final home game at
       Empire Stadium on November 6, 1982.
1983   July 24th: The Lions open B.C. Place Stadium in front of a then CFL record 41,810 fans.
1983   Under new Head Coach Don Matthews, the Lions regain first place in the West for the first time since 1964
       reaching their third Grey Cup but fall 18-17 to Toronto at B.C. Place.
1984   October 27th: The Lions set a CFL record with an attendance of 59,478.
1984   1964 greats Joe Kapp and Tom Brown are elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. The Lions finish on
       top of the West at 12-3-1 but lose to Winnipeg in the Western Final.
1985   With 13 wins and their third straight regular season title, the Lions surpass the club record and beat Winnipeg
       42-22 in the West Final to reach the Grey Cup. WR Mervyn Fernandez is named the CFL’s Most Outstanding
       Player.
1985   The Lions win their second Grey Cup breaking a 21-year drought with a 37-24 triumph over Hamilton.
1986   Bob Ackles receives a special Schenley Award for his outstanding contributions to Canadian football and
       leaves the Lions for the NFL. Joe Galat takes over the Lions GM (1986-1989).
1987   Lui Passaglia becomes the first player to record 200 points in a single season with a club record 52 FGs. Larry
       Donovan takes over as Head Coach and wins all four of his games to finish on top of the West. Eleven Lions’
       players are named to the Western all-star team led by all-time great DB Larry Crawford.
1988   The Lions reach their fifth Grey Cup coming all the way through on the road in the western playoffs but lose
       22-21 to Winnipeg in Ottawa. WR David Williams is named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player.
1989   Joe Galat takes over from Larry Donovan as Head Coach. The BC Lions Football Club passes from community
       into private ownership after 35 years.

K EY HI STORI CAL M OM EN TS
THE 90’S
1990   Former Head Coach Eagle Keys is elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. Joe Kapp takes over as GM
       but is replaced by Jim Young midway through the season. Bob O’Billovich assumes head coaching and GM
       duties with seven games remaining. QB Doug Flutie signs with BC as a free agent.
1990   August 20th: K Lui Passaglia becomes the all-time CFL scoring leader with 2,312 points.
1991   Tom Hinton and Jim Young are elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. OT Jim Mills wins his second
       straight Top Lineman Award while CFL Most Outstanding Player QB Doug Flutie sets all-time CFL passing
       records of 6,619 yards and 466 completions. Jon Volpe is named Rookie-of-the-Year and leads the West in
       rushing with 1,395 yards setting a CFL record for first-year players with 20 TDs.
1991   BC sets the all-time CFL records with 9,117 yards of net offence and 6,714 yards passing.
1993   Dave Ritchie is named the Lions’ Head Coach under new GM Eric Tillman (1993-95). The Lions begin a stretch
       of reaching the playoffs in 15 of the next 16 seasons (1993-present).
1994   July 21st: K Lui Passaglia becomes the all-time CFL games played leader with 289 surpassing Ron Lancaster.
       BC starts the season 8-1-1 and has three 1,000-yard receivers but finishes 11-6-1 to grab a spot in the
       playoffs and a trip to Edmonton for the West semi-final.
1994   For the second time in club history, the Lions reach the Grey Cup after finishing third. BC beats Calgary 37-
       36 in the snow at McMahon Stadium on the 1994 West Final’s last play behind Danny McManus’ pass to
       Darren Flutie. The Lions capture their third Grey Cup and only one at home with a 26-23 triumph over
       Baltimore. Lui Passaglia’s 38-yard FG on the final play decided the contest.
1995   Cory Philpot sets a then CFL record with 22 touchdowns.
1996   George Chayka assumes VP, Football Operations duties. Damon Allen (1996-2002) signs as a free agent.
1997   David Braley assumes ownership of the BC Lions Football Club in January 1997 while Adam Rita takes over
       as the club’s General Manager (1997-2002). Al Wilson is elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
1999   BC matches the club record with 13 wins, grabs 11 places on the West all-star team and five individual awards
       but loses the West Final at home to Calgary 26-24.

K EY HI STORI CAL M OM EN TS
2000-P R ESENT
2000   Starting the season at 5-9, the Lions get on a roll winning 3 of 4 down the stretch to eke into the playoffs with a 27-26 win to
       close the season. With wins at Edmonton and Calgary, the Lions string together four consecutive must-win games to reach
       the 2000 Grey Cup in Lui Passaglia’s final season. Sean Millington is named the CFL’s Top Canadian Player and one of six Lions
       Western all-stars.
2000   The Lions capture their fourth Grey Cup with a 28-26 win over Montreal at Calgary’s McMahon Stadium.
2000   Lui Passaglia retires after setting all-time CFL records with 25 seasons, 408 games and 3,991 points. LB Barrin Simpson is
       named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Rookie and the West’s Top Defensive Player.
2001   Bill Frank and James Parker are elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. All-time leading receiver Geroy Simon and
       Brent Johnson sign with the Lions.
2002   Bob Ackles returns to the club as President and is elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. Jamie Taras retires after 16
       seasons and 264 games with the Lions (second only to Lui Passaglia). Jason Clermont is drafted from the University of Regina
       and is named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Rookie.
2003   Wally Buono is hired as the Lions’ Head Coach and General Manager while QB Dave Dickenson joins the club as a free agent
       and captures the West nomination as Most Outstanding Player. Dickenson sets all-time CFL records for completion percentage
       (74.0%) and QB rating (118.8).
2004   In one of the finest seasons in club history, the Lions grab first place with a 13-5 mark winning a then club record eight
       straight games. Casey Printers leads the Lions at QB and is named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player. BC beats Saskatchewan
       in the 2004 West Final to reach their eighth Grey Cup but fall to Toronto by a 27-19 count in Ottawa.
2004   All-time leading professional scorer Lui Passaglia and former Head Coach Cal Murphy are elected to the Canadian Football Hall
       of Fame.
2005   A second straight Western regular season title at 12-6 followed a club record 11-game winning streak to start the season. The
       BC overall winning streak of 14 (including the final 3 games of 2004) matched the second longest in league history. Brent
       Johnson receives his first of two CFL Top Canadian Player Awards.
2005   Ray Nettles is elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
2006   In the finest season in club history, the Lions win 11 of their last 13 games to post a 13-5 mark and their third straight first
       place finish. BC destroyed Saskatchewan 45-18 in the West Final behind QB Dave Dickenson and CFL Most Outstanding Player
       Geroy Simon. Ten Lions players are named to the all-star team and the club captures five individual awards including two by
       Brent Johnson as Top Canadian and Defensive Player. Aaron Hunt earns Top Rookie honours in the CFL.
2006   The Lions capture their fifth Grey Cup with a 25-14 win over Montreal and club builder Vic Spencer and former QB Matt
       Dunigan are elected to the Hall of Fame.
2007   BC captures a fourth consecutive Western regular season title with a club record 14 wins (including the final eight games) and
       playing in their fourth straight home West Division Final. A club record 15 Lions’ players are named Western all-stars including
       Geroy Simon who led the CFL in receiving. The Lions dominate the CFL Awards with Cameron Wake (Defensive), Jason
       Clermont (Canadian), Rob Murphy (Offensive Lineman), and Ian Smart (Special Teams) receiving recognition.

K EY HI STORI CAL M OM EN TS
2008   To start 2008, former Lion Doug Flutie is inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. The Lions secure their 12th consecutive playoff spot
       and fifth consecutive Western Final berth with an 11-7 mark. Geroy Simon becomes the Lions all-time leading receiver surpassing Jim Young.
       Wally Buono pulls to within four wins of Don Matthews as the CFL’s all-time winningest coach with 227 victories. The club and their fans are
       saddened by the loss of Bob Ackles in July. Defensive end Cam Wake is named the CFL’s Top Defensive Player for the second-straight season
       and moves on to sign with the Miami Dolphins of the NFL.
2009   Jim Mills and Alondra Johnson are inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. Despite posting their first sub .500 mark since 2001, the
       Lions earned a cross-over berth into the East Division playoffs defeating Hamilton for their first-ever playoff game outside the West Division.
       Wally Buono became the all-time winningest coach in CFL history pushing his total to 235 wins over 20 seasons. Martell Mallett earns Top Rookie
       honours in the CFL while Rick Foley is named the league’s Top Canadian Player for 2009.
2010   The Lions began the 2010 season with one of the slowest starts in club history, but went on to create the year of the comeback. The year played
       out in two halves with a 7-3 finish following on the heels of a 1-7 start. Facing elimination in each of the final three weeks the club edged
       Edmonton to finish third in the West and earn a date in Regina with the Riders. The Lions dropped their third overtime loss in a stretch of six
       games by a 41-38 score to end their run of six straight division final appearances. Solomon Elimimian earns the CFL’s Most Outstanding Rookie
       Award while Paul McCallum and Ryan Phillips earn places on the All-CFL team. Yonus Davis is the West Division nominee for Outstanding Special
       Teams Player and Travis Lulay earns the starting job at quarterback late in the year.
2011   The 2011 season will go down as one of the club’s finest in their long history. As in 2010, a slow start (1-6) was left behind as the Lions won all
       but one of their final 13 games on the way to their sixth Grey Cup victory. The 34-23 victory over Winnipeg in a tenth appearance was accomplished
       in newly rebuilt B.C. Place Stadium and before 54,313 fans. The win at home in the Grey Cup was the second time for the club and first in front
       of their own fans since 1994. Travis Lulay was named the game’s Most Outstanding Player after capturing the regular season Gibson’s Finest
       award earlier in the week. Andrew Harris was named the Most Outstanding Canadian in a year where he became the starting running back. Paul
       McCallum had a stellar season setting CFL records for FG percentage (94.3%) and consecutive makes with 30. He won the league Most
       Outstanding Special Teams Award and joined eight others on the CFL All-Star Team. Geroy Simon moved into the #2 spot among all-time CFL
       receivers at 15,087 yards. Attendance jumped to 267,525 with the return to B.C. Place highlighted by a crowd of 50,213 at the stadium re-opener
       on September 30, 2011.
2012   In 2012, Mike Benevides took over for Wally Buono as head coach and led the Lions to their best record since 2007 at 13-5 tying the league
       record for wins by a first year head man. The Lions started slowly at 2-2 but then ran off 12 wins in the final 15 regular season games to capture
       first place for the 13th time in team history. The club just missed out on a second straight Grey Cup appearance with a 34-29 loss to Calgary at
       B.C. Place in the West Final, their eighth Finals berth in the last nine years. Ten players made the Division All-Star including QB Travis Lulay for
       the second straight time and Korey Banks for his eighth in a row. Team Geroy Simon moved into the #1 spot among all-time CFL receivers at
       15,787 yards despite missing five games. Andrew Harris became just the second Canadian to ever lead the CFL in yards from scrimmage with
       1,830 and made the CFL All-Star Team.
2013   In Mike Benevides second year at the helm and the club’s 60th season, the Lions made a strong start posting a record of 5-2 over the first seven
       games. They increased that to 9-4 creating a battle down the stretch with Calgary and Saskatchewan. BC ended up even with the Riders at 11-
       7 but in third on a tie-breaker necessitating a trip to Regina for the West Semi-Final where they dropped a 29-25 decision. The playoff spot
       extended the current, active run to 17 consecutive seasons – the third longest streak in CFL history. Ryan Phillips, Jovan Olafioye and Adam
       Bighill were named to the CFL and West Division All-Star teams while Solomon Elimimian, in his return to the club, rookie Cord Parks and veteran
       Dante marsh earned Western berths. Travis Lulay led the club in passing with 2,841 yards but missed 7 starts due to a shoulder injury. Andrew
       Harris again led the Lions in rushing with 998 yards (#3 in the CFL) and in yards from scrimmage with 1,511.
2014   A rollercoaster season for the Leos as injuries and inconsistent play resulted in a 4-5 record at home and a 9-9 finish overall in a competitive
       West Division. Operating without quarterback Travis Lulay for almost the entire season, the Lions leaned on journeyman pivot Kevin Glenn who
       was acquired in the off-season. The club overcame early-season losses to eventually push their record to 7-4 but three consecutive losses at the
       end of the season dropped the team to fourth in the division and a cross-over spot in the playoffs which pushed their postseason streak to 18
       consecutive years resulted in a disappointing and lopsided road loss. The Lions dispatched third-year head coach Mike Benevides following the
       season and hired Jeff Tedford as its 25th head coach. There were bright spots despite the tough season as linebacker Solomon Elimimian set a
       new league record for defensive tackles with 143 and earned the CFL’s Outstanding Player as well as Outstanding Defensive Player awards while
       also picking up a CFL All-Star selection along with fellow Leo Jovan Olafioye.
2015   Another step backwards for the Lions in 2015 as the club’s record fell to 7-11 under first-year head coach Jeff Tedford. Quarterback Travis Lulay
       reclaimed the starter’s role out of camp, but the offence struggled to a 3-5 mark before he was sidelined with a knee injury. Two games later,
       back-up John Beck was out for the season as well, and the Lions’ season rested on the shoulders of rookie Jonathon Jennings. With linebacker
       Solomon Elimimian also out for the year with an Achilles injury suffered in August, the defence leaned heavily on Adam Bighill who responded by
       leading the CFL in tackles and eventually earning Most Outstanding Defensive Player honours. With Jennings at the helm, the Lions won three of
       their six remaining games finishing third in the West earning their 19th consecutive playoff berth. It was an early exit however as the Lions fell
       35-9 in Calgary and it was an early exit for Tedford as well as the well-traveled NCAA coach resigned in early December to pursue U.S. college
       opportunities. With qualified candidates in short supply, Wally Buono announced that he would once again lead the Lions on the field in 2016.
2016   A resurgent and entertaining year for the Lions as their young, dynamic quarterback Jonathon Jennings led an exciting squad to a 12-6 record
       and a trip to the Western Final. Establishing identical 6-3 records at home and on the road, the 2016 edition of the club won late, won shootouts
       and even came out on top in tough defensive battles. Jennings led a vibrant offence with 5,226 passing yards, the third-best passing season in
       club history, while the duo running attack of newcomers Jeremiah Johnson and Anthony Allen helped the Leos to a CFL-high 2,082 rushing yards.
       Receivers Emmanuel Arceneaux and Bryan Burnham turned in fabulous performances earning West Division All-Star nods as did offensive tackle
       Jovan Olafioye – his seventh-consecutive. On defense, linebacker Solomon Elimimian returned from a season-ending injury in 2015 to lead the
       league in tackles with 129 and claim his second Most Outstanding Defensive Player selection. Fellow linebacker Adam Bighill also hit the century
       mark for tackles making the duo the first-ever pairing to record more than 100 tackles in the same season. A dramatic 32-31 win over Winnipeg
       in the Western Semi-Final made the club’s first second-place finish since 1986 one to remember, but a tough outing the next week in Calgary
       showed the Lions that there is work to be done if a Grey Cup title is to return to the West Coast.
2017   A season which had plenty of high expectations going in certainly started out on the right foot as the Lions burst out of the gate to a 6-2 start.
       Injuries to both Jonathon Jennings and Travis Lulay along with bouts of inconsistent play led to a mid-season meltdown however, as the club
       stumbled to a 1-9 record the rest of the way and their first non-playoff year in two decades. There were a few bright spots on the season
       however, with three CFL All-Stars including Bryan Burnham, punter Ty long and Solomon Elimimian whose 144 tackles set yet another CFL all-
       time mark. At the end of November, Wally Buono relinquished General Manager duties and appointed former Edmonton Eskimos executive Ed
       Hervey to the role. Hervey then announced that Buono would return for one final season as head coach.

K EY HI STORI CAL M OM EN TS
       An active free agent season in February put a new face on the Lions defence heading into the 2018 season as the club acquired Odell Willis in
2018
       the offseason along with number of new defensive backs. A 2-2 start to the season and a subsequent drop to 2-4 meant there was still plenty
       work to do on both sides of the ball, but when their third win of the year was followed by two more losses many were ready to write off the
       squad at the season’s midway point. Wins in six of their next seven games not only pushed the team’s record to 9-7 it also secured a playoff spot
       at the expense of the Edmonton Eskimos. Two losses to end the year sent the Leos east as the CFL’s playoff crossover team and a 48-8 blowout
       loss to the Ticats was a disappointing end to head coach Wally Buono’s time at the helm. The club produced five CFL All-Stars including kicker
       Ty Long who was also the West Division’s selection as Most Outstanding Special Teams Player. In early December, GM Ed Hervey named former
       Calgary Stampeders defensive coordinator DeVone Claybrooks as the Lions’ 26th head coach.

       Former Lions receivers ‘Swervn’ Mervin Fernandez and David Williams are announced as inductees to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. The
       Lions open free agency with a bang, bringing back Mike Reilly with a four-year contract. Luring the top quarterback on the market leads to the
       signings of receivers Lemar Durant, a Coquitlam native and 2018 Grey Cup Most Valubale Canadian, and the charismatic Duron Carter. Running
2019   Back John White was also signed as well as local product Sukh Chungh on the offensive line. Despite the additions and plenty of excitement with
       the young and energetic Claybrooks on the sidelines, the team struggled to a 5-13 record and missed the playoffs for a second time in three
       seasons. Bright spots included Bryan Burnham moving into tenth all-time in Lions receiving yards while also becoming just the second in franchise
       history after Geroy Simon to record four straight 1,000-yard plus seasons. He finished with a career-best 1,492 yards, 100 receptions and 11
       touchdowns. Reilly surpassed the 30,000-yard passing mark for his career and improved his total of 300-yard passing games to 51 for his career.
       Defensive lineman Odell Willis recorded his 100th career sack in a September 21st victory at Ottawa. Burnham and kicker Sergio Castillo were
       named as CFL West Division All-Stars. Claybrooks was relievedof his duties as head coach on November 6th. Rick Campbell was hired as the club’s
       27th head coach on December 2nd.